Museum and art galleries stay open after Dumfries and Galloway Council U-turn on cuts

Dumfries and Galloway Council leader Ronnie Nicholson at Burns House (Image: Dumfries and Galloway Standard)

Share

Get daily updates directly to your inbox

Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email

Museum and art gallery closure plans have been scrapped by Dumfries and Galloway Council’s new ruling coalition.

Council leader Ronnie Nicholson said on Monday that retaining historic buildings is “an absolute key priority” for the Labour SNP coalition.

A series of public meetings on budget saving proposals that were due to take place this week were cancelled.

The U-turn has been welcomed by opponents of the cultural cuts.

A member of Dumfries and Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society, said: “This is great news. Common sense has prevailed”.

A council document was recently circulated listing potential savings that could be made by closing buildings including museums in Dumfries, Annan and Sanquhar.

The proposals, which were developed by council officers under the previous administration, were due to go out to public consultation this week.

But Mr Nicholson scrapped the plans.

He said: “The document on so called museum closures was never shared with Labour councillors and was produced under the previous council administration.

“I think it is important the council is frank with the public about the budget challenges we face but some of the suggestions that were made were frankly crazy and a council led by me wouldn’t touch some of those options with a barge pole.”

He added: “We now have a new council administration and retaining our museums and art galleries is an absolute key priority for the Labour SNP coalition.

“That’s why one of my first actions as council leader is to scrap the proposals on closures.

“Many of the buildings in question are grade 1 listed or held by common good funds.

“Even if they were closed, they couldn’t be used for anything else, so would simply sit empty and that would be completely unacceptable.

“The council will need to find £36m of savings over the next three years and that won’t be easy. However, I firmly believe these savings can be found without the need for widespread closures and that’s why I have scrapped the proposals.”